Recoil apparatus of ordnance



A. T. DAWSON AND G. T. BUCKHAM.

,RECOIL APPARATUS 0F ORDNANCE.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 9. 1919.

Patented Aug. 24, .1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR'TBEVOR DAWSON AND GEORGE THOMAS BUCKI-IAM, or WESTMINSTER,

LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO VICKERS LIIEITED, OF WESTMINSTER, ENG- I LAND.

To all whom/it may concern:

' Be it known that we, Sir ARTHUR TREVOR Dawson, knight, and Sir GEORGE THOMAS Buo rnainknight, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, residing at Vickers House, Broadway, Testminster, in the county of London, Englanchhave invented certain new and usefullmprovements in or Relating to the Recoil Apparatus of Ordnance, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ordnance recoil apparatus i111 which the length of recoil of the: gun is varied in accordance with the angle of elevation ofthe gun by a member servingto alter the area of the port or ports for the passage of the liquidfrom oneside of the recoil piston to the other; this member inthe caseofrecoil apparatus having a longitudinally stationary recoil piston and a longitudinally moving "cylinder may, for example,;be constituted by part of the piston rod which is angularly displaced by mechanism comprising. a link-pivoted at its forward end to an armon. the cradle (which arm is connected to the piston rod through bevel segments) and pivoted at its rear end to part of the carriage at a point situated a suitable distance from the axis of the gun trunnions so that, during the elevation of the gun, angular movement will be given to the piston rod.

According to.-the present invention we provide-means whereby, in the eventof the mechanism for angularly displacing the piston rod or other member for varying the port area, becomingdamaged and having to be removed for replacement or repair, the piston rod or other member can be locked in a predetermined angular position which preferably corresponds-to thatat which the minimum recoil movement of the gun is permitted. For this purpose, when applied to the form of recoil apparatus described above, a part connected tov the piston rod may have a projection working in a recess in the end of the gun cradle and this projection may be formed with a hole which, when the piston rod occupies the" position corresponding to maximum elevation of, the gun e. to minimum recoil of the gun) registers with a hole formed in the wall of the recess, the piston RECOIL APPARATUS OF QRDN'ANCE.

7 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented xuo; 24,1920. Application filed July 9, 1919. Serial No. 309,787.

rod being then locked in this position by inserting a pin into the two holes.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect we will describe the same more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the forward part of a gun cradle provided with a constructional form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of Fig. 1,

Fig; 3 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. a is an end view showing diagrammatically the manner in which the port area for the passage of the liquid from one side to the other of the recoil piston, is altered.

A is the gun cradle and A is the front cap thereof to which the piston rod B of the recoil or brake piston C (Fig. 4) is attached as is also the piston rod (not shown) of the recuperat or piston. The piston rod B has a collar 13* (Fig. 4) provided with ports as shown and adapted tomove in contact with the piston C which is also provided with ports, the two sets of ports giving a variable port area during the elevation of the gun, when the collar B moves in theidirection of the arrow B and during the recoil of the gun, when the piston is moved in the direction of the arrow C by an arrangement of keys as is well understood. B is the aforesaid link pivoted at its forward end to an arm .13 connected by bevel segments 7), Z) tothe piston rod B. The rear end of the said link B is pivoted at B to part of the carriage at a suitable distance from the axis of the gun trunnions of which one is shown at A) in Fig. 1. 13* is the aforesaid part connected to the piston rod B and If is the proj ection thereon working in a recess a in the front cap A, this projection being formed with a hole, which when the piston rod occupies the position corresponding to maximum elevation of the gun, registers with a hole a formed in the wall of the recess a. When the link B has to be removed for replacement or repair, a pin, which is preferably the pin 6* serving to connect the rod 13 to the arm B is inserted into the two registering holes to lock the piston rod in the said position which as aforesaid corresponds to the minimum recoil of the un. The part I) is keyed to the front end 0? the piston rod B and is retained in position by a nut B which also serves the purpose of attaching the piston rod to the front cap A. The key If for connecting the part B to the piston rod B also serves to attach the bevel segment b to the piston rod.

\Vhat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 2-- 1. In ordnance recoil apparatus of the kind in which the braking is efiectcd by the forcing of liquid through a port, the combination with the gun cradle, of a member serving to vary the area of'said port in accordance with the angle of elevation of the gun, mechanism for automatically displacing said member as the gun is elevated, a portion of this mechanism being arranged externally and a portion internall with respect to the gun cradle, means whereby an element of the externally arranged portion of said mechanism can be readily removed for replacement or repair and means whereby When said element is removed said member can be locked in a predetermined position without necessitating the removal of any of the parts of the internally arranged portion of said mechanism.

2. In ordnance recoil ap aratus, the combination with the gun cradie and the recoil c 'linder for containing liquid which, during tie recoil of the gun, is forced through a port to provide the required braking effect, of a member serving to vary the area of said port in accordance with the angle of elevation of the gun,'mechanism for automatically displacing said'member as the gun is elevated, a portion of this mechanism being arranged externally and a portion internally with respect to the un cradle, means whereby an element of t e externally arran ed portion of said mechanism can be rea ily removed for replacement or repair and means whereby when said element is removed said member can be locked in a predetermined position without necessitating the removal of any of the parts of the internally arranged portion of said mechanism.

In ordnance recoil apparatus, the combination with the gun cradle, the recoil cylinder for containing liquid, the recoil piston which, during recoil of the gun, forces the liquid from one side to the other of said piston through a port therein, and the rod of said piston, of mechanism for angularly displacing said piston rod in accordance with the an le of elevation of the gun, a portion of tiis mechanism being arranged externally and a portion internally with respect to the gun cradle, means whereby said angular displacement varies the area of the said port, means whereby an element of the externally arranged portion of said mechanism can be readil removed for replacement or repair and means whereby when said element is removed said piston rod can be locked in a predetermined angular position without necessitating the removal of any of the parts 'ofthe internally'arranged portion of said mechanism. '4; Ilrordnancegrecoil ap aratiisftlie' combination with the gun cra Ie, the recoil cylinder for containing li uid, the recoil piion which, during recoil o the gun, forces' the liquid from ene side to the other of said piston through a port therein, and the rod of' said di lacing said piston rod in accordance with the an le' of elevation of the gangs.- portion of this mechanism being a externally and a portion internally with respect to the gun cradle, means whereby said angular displacement varies the area-Mike sai port, means 'whereby an element oi the externally arranged POI'fiOB'Of said meeha nism can bereadi ment or repair an means whereby when iaid element is removed said piston (d can e locke in a' sition correspon to maximum elevatilih of the gun w ilzhout necessitating the removal of any of the parts of the internally arranged portion ofsaid mechanism.

5. In ordnance recoil ap ratus,-the com: bination with the gunfcrad z, the recoil 1- inder for containing Ii uid, the recoil ton which, during recoi of the n, the liquid from one sideto the ot r offlid piston through a port therein, and the rod of said piston, of mechanism comprising 1- removable link arranged outside the cradle and gearing-man d inside the cradle for angularly disp' acing said p rod in accordance with the angle of club: tion ofthe gun, means whereb said anguiar displacement varies the area 0 said portend r means whereby, in the event of said being removed, said piston rod can be 1 in a predetermined position without node's sitating the removal of an of said internally arrange gearing.

6. In ordnance recoil a paratus, the combination with the an its cradle, therecoil cylinder whic contains liquid and is connected to the gun, and the recoil piston and its rod connected to the piston, during the recoil of t e gun forcing the liquid in the c linder from one side to the other of the said piston through a port therein, of a bevel toothed segment on said piston rod, a second bevel toothed segment meshing with the first segment, an arm con nected to said second segment, a link ivoted to one end of said am and at the ot er to a fixed part at a suitable distance from the axis of elevation of the gun, said link, arm and bevel segments serving to angularly disremoved for replace piston, .of mechanism for singularly a of the elements n cradle, this place the piston rod in accordance with the angle of elevation of the gun, means Whereby said angular displacement varies the area of said port, a part moving angularly With the piston rod and a projection on said part working in a recess in the gun cradle, said projection and the Wall of the recess being formed With holes for the reception of a pin for locking the projection and consequently the piston rod in an angular position corresponding to maximum elevation of the gun in the event of said link being removed; In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

ARTHUR TREVOR DAWSON. GEORGE THOMAS BUOKHAM. 

